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Zamia integrifolia L. f.
Coontie, Florida arrowroot

Zamia integrifolia
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley

Family: Zamiaceae

Group: Gymnosperm

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Southeastern United States (southeastern Georgia and Florida); Bahamas, Cuba, and Cayman Islands.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

State of Florida Status: Commercially Exploited

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Rare

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

South Florida History and Distribution: This is widespread in South Florida growing a wide variety of habitats, most of which have been subjected to continuous habitat loss and fragmentation outside of Everglades National Park; it was also widely harvested in the 20th century. Using modern NatureServe criteria, we re-ranked this as Rare in South Florida in July 2018.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: Although some authors place this into synonymy under Z. pumila, we follow the taxonomy of the World List of Cycads.

Also visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and images on Z. integrifolia in South Florida. See also a 2022 post on the Treasure Coast Natives blog on the history, pollination and uses of Coontie.

Synonyms: Z. pumila, misapplied.

Other data on Zamia integrifolia available from :

Zamia integrifolia has been found in the following 109 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
A.D. Doug Barnes Park Present Native
Alice C. Wainwright Park Present Native, presumed Extirpated, now Cultivated Only
Andrew Dodge Memorial Pineland Present Native
Arch Creek Addition Present
Arch Creek Park Present Native
Atlantic Dunes Park Absent Native, Cultivated Only
Beachwalk Pasley Park Present Native
Big and Little George Hammocks Present Native
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Present Native, Cultivated Only
Bill Sadowski Park Present Native
Biscayne National Park Present Native, Cultivated Only
Black Creek Forest Present Native
Boystown Pineland Present Native
Camp Owaissa Bauer Present Native
Camp Owaissa Bauer Addition Present Native
Castellow Hammock parcel 28 Present Native
Castellow Hammock parcel 31 Present Native
Castellow Hammock parcel 33 Present Native
Castellow Hammock Park Present Native
Cayo Costa State Park Present Native
Cedar Point Environmental Park Present Native
Chernoff Hammock Present Native
Coral Pines Park Present Native
Coral Reef Park Present Native
County Line Scrub, Miami-Dade County Present Native
Crandon Park Present Native
Deering Estate at Cutler Present Native
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park Present Native
Delray Beach, Lake Ida parcel Present Native, Cultivated Only
Dolphin Center and Dolphin Center Addition Present Native
Don Pedro Island State Park Present Native
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Present Native, Cultivated Only
Dupuis Reserve Present Native
Eachus Pineland Present Native
Enchanted Forest Park Present Native
Estero Bay Preserve State Park Present Native
Everglades National Park Present Native
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park Present Native
Fern Forest Nature Center Present Native
Florida Atlantic University Ecological Site Present Native
Florida City Pineland Present Native
Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Frog Pond/L-31 N Transition Lands Present Native
Fuchs Hammock Preserve Present Native
George N. Avery Pineland Present Native
Girl Scouts South Miami Little House Present Native
Gold Coast Railroad Museum Present Native
Goulds Pineland Present Native
Greynolds Park Present Native
Harden Hammock Present Native
Hattie Bauer Hammock Present Native
High Ridge Scrub Natural Area Present Native
Hollywood North Beach Regional Park Present Native
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Present Native
Ingram Pineland Present Native
Ives Estate Park Present Native, Cultivated Only
J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Present Native, Cultivated Only
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park Present Native
John Kunkel Small Pineland Present Native
Kendalwood Present Native
Kitchen Key Present Native
Koreshan State Historic Site Present Native
Larry and Penny Thompson Park Present Native
Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center Present Native
Loveland Hammock Present Native
Ludlam Pineland Present Native
Luis Martinez United States Army Reserve Station, Richmond Pine Rocklands Present Native
Matheson Hammock Park Present Native
Medlock Pineland Present Native
Meissner Hammock Present Native
Moreno Pine Rockland Present Native
Navy Wells Pineland 23 Present Native
Navy Wells Pineland 39 Native
Navy Wells Pineland Preserve Present Native
Ned Glenn Nature Preserve Present Native
Nixon Smiley Pineland Addition Present Native
Nixon Smiley Pineland Preserve Present Native
Northrop Pineland Present Native
Palm Drive Pineland Present Native
Phipps Ocean Park Present Native, Cultivated Only
Pine Island Ridge Natural Area Present Native
Pine Ridge Sanctuary Present Native
Pine Shore Preserve Present Native
Porter-Russell Pineland Present Native
Quail Roost Pineland Present Native
R. Hardy Matheson Preserve Present Native
Red Reef Park, including Gumbo Limbo Nature Center Present Native, Cultivated Only
Rock Pit 39 Present Native
Rockdale Pineland Present Native
Ron Ehmann Park Present Native
School Board Property (Moody Drive and Turnpike) Native
Secret Woods Nature Center Present Native
Seminole Wayside Park Present Native
Silver Palm Groves Present Native
Silver Palm Hammock Present Native
Simpson Park Present Native
SOCSOUTH Present Native
Stump Pass Beach State Park Present Native
Sunny Palms Pineland Present Native
Tamiami Pineland Complex Addition Present Native
The Barnacle State Historic Park Present Native
Tree Tops Park Present Native
Trinity Pineland Present Native
Tropical Park Present Native
Virginia Key Beach Park and Marine Stadium Present Native
West Biscayne Pineland Present Native
West Lake Park/Anne Kolb Nature Center Present Native, Cultivated Only
Whispering Pines Hammock Preserve Present Native
Zoo Miami Present Native

Zamia integrifolia has been found in the following 9 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Native
Charlotte County Native
Glades County Native
Hendry County Native
Lee County Native
Martin County Native
Miami-Dade County Native
Monroe County (Keys) Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Palm Beach County Native

Zamia integrifolia has been found in the following 6 habitats :
Maritime Hammock
Mesic Hammock
Pine Rockland
Prairie Hammock
Rockland Hammock
Shell Mound

All Images:

Zamia integrifolia
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley
Zamia integrifolia
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley
Zamia integrifolia
Copyright by: James Johnson, 2014
In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
Zamia integrifolia
Copyright by: James Johnson, 2014
In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
Zamia integrifolia
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer
Zamia integrifolia
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer
Zamia integrifolia
Copyright by: Chuck McCartney, 1999
Porter-Russell Pineland, Florida
Zamia integrifolia
Copyright by: Wes Jurgens